Duplex handbag for women



March 23, 1954 L MACHINIST DUPLEX HANDBAG FOR WOMEN Filed July 19;, 1952INVENTOR. IJRRE L MA H/NUT BY 36 W HTTO/P/VEY Patented Mar. 23, 1954UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE DUPLEX HANDBAG FOR WOMEN Israel Machinist,St. Albans, N. Y. Application July 19, 1952, Serial No. 299,801 1 Claim.(01. 150-28) the other unit comprising an auxiliary handbag appurtenantto the first unit and detachably secured thereto. The second unit may beremoved from its operative position relative to the first unit, it maythen be folded to compact proportions, and it may then be inserted intoan inner compartment within the first unit where it will be concealedand stored until such time as it is desired to make use of it. At thattime, the second unit may be removed from the inner compartment withinthe first unit, it may then he unfolded and again detachably secured tothe first unit in operative position relative thereto.

The first unit is a compiete handbag in itself.

It may be made'in any desirable size, shape and style and of any desiredmaterials. It may include any and all of the usual accoutrements ofwomens handbags, including a strap for carrying purposes, if desired,inner compartments and pockets, attached purses, and all othercomponents and accessories common to womens handbags.

The second or auxiliary unit is simply a bag or container with means fordetachably securing it to the bottom of the main or first unit. In thepreferred form of this invention, the auxiliary unit is closed at thebottom and sides and open at the top and it is detachably secured inhanging or dependent fashion to the bottom of the main unit, the bottomwall of the main unit thereby serving as a closure for the top of theauxiliary. The size and shape of the auxiliary unit should correspond tothe size and Shape of the main unit to the extent required to properlyfasten the two units together and also to the extent necessary topresent attractive appearance and styling. In the preferred form of thisinvention, the bottom of the main bag is inserted into the Open top ofthe auxiliary bag in order to fasten the two bags together. In otherwords, the main bag nests, in part, within the auxiliary bag and thisshould be taken into account in determining the relative d mensions andproportions of the two bags. The respective depths of the two bags mayvary both absolutely and relatively in accordance with individualpreferences and requirements.

An important feature of this invention is the provision of an apron orskirt on the main ba which overlaps the upper edges of the auxiliary bagwhen the two bags are attached to each other in order to conceal thedividing line between the two bags and the fastening elements whichsecur them together. The two bags appear to be a single bag when theyare attached together and this adds to the value and appearance whichthey provide.

Another important feature of this invention is the adjustable strapwhich is-secured to the main bag. This strap may be extended to shoulderlength or contracted to be carried by hand.

The auxiliary bag may, if desired, be provided with a water-tight orwater-resistant linin so that it may be used to carry wet or damparticles, such as baby diapers, bathing suits, plastic raincoats,rubbers, collapsible umbrellas and the like. It may also be used tocarry lunch, baby bottles, baby formulas and the like.

A preferred form of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawingin which:

Fig. '1 is a perspective view of a duplex handbag made in accordancewith this invention, the two units which comprise said bag being shownsecured to each other, the skirt or apron of the main bag being turnedupwardly in part to show the means for detachably securing the two bagstogether, the main bag being partly broken away to expose the innerpocket which receives the auxiliary bag when said bag is detached fromthe main bag and folded to compact proportions.

Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the main bag, showing theauxiliary bag detached therefrom, folded and partly inserted into thepocket in the main bag, the skirt or apron of the main bag beingelevated in part to show one of the fastening elements on the main bagwhich 00- operates with the corresponding fastening element on theauxiliary bag.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the auxiliary bag, showing its sides and endsfolded upon themselves preparatory to the final folding operation whichproduces the result shown in Fig. 2.

It will be seen in the drawing that duplex handbag It! comprises a mainhandbag i2, an auxiliary bag I4, and fastening elements It fordetachably securing said bags together. Main handbag i2 is a full andcomplete bag which may be made in any desired size, shape and style. Itmay be made either with a frame or without a frame, as desired. In thepreferred form of this invention, the main handbag is provided with apair of rings i8 which support a carrying strap 2!]. One end 22 of saidstrap is secured to one of said rings and the opposite end 24 of saidstrap is looped around the other ring. A slip buckle 26 is provided forenlarging said loop or reducing it in size. When the loop is reduced,the effect is to lengthen or extend the strap so that it may be used asa shoulder strap. See Fig. 1. When the loop is enlarged, the effect isto double the strap and thereby shorten it to hand carrying proportions.

A pocket 1'8- is provided in the main handbag l2 and a slide: fastener30 may be provided as a closure for said pocket. The pocket may be usedfor any and all of the conventional purposes of handbag pockets but inthe present invention it performs another very important function whichwill shortly be explained.

It will be seen that fastening elements is consist of two groups ofcooperative elements, one group being secured to the main handbag,adjacent its bottom wall 32 and the other group being secured to theauxiliary bag adjacent its top edge 34. These two groups of fastenerelements coact with each other in conventional manner to secure theauxiliary bag to the main handbag. Illustrative of suitable fasteningelements are snap fasteners as shown in the drawing;

It will be noted that the auxiliary bag M is suspended from the bottomof the main handbag and it will also be noted that the auxiliary bag isclosed at thebottom and sides and open at. the top; The open top of. theauxiliary bag is large enough to receive the bottom of the main handbagin nested fashion. When the two bags are in this position, as shown inFig. 1,'the fastener elements of the main handbag register with thefastener elements of the auxiliary bag. and the two bags may thereby bedetachably secured to each other. It will be seen that a skirt or apron36 is provided along the bottom of the main handbag and it forms whatmay be described as a continuous: flap or a pair of. continuous flapswhose respective ends meet at the ends of the main: handbag. Thisv skirtor apron may be folded over as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to facilitateattachment: of the two bags to each other or detachment of the two bagsfrom each other.

Thelim-portant'advantage of this skirt or apron is the fact: that, itconceals the dividing line between the; two: bags when they are securedtogether and it also conceals the fastener elements which secure'saidbags together; When the two bags are secured together, they appear asone; when themain handbag is used alone, the skirt or apron conceals itsfastener elements and thereby conceals the fact that the handbag may besupplemented by another bag.

The auxiliary bag may be folded in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 2 sothat it may be inserted into pocket 28. The following steps shouldpreferably be followed in folding said auxiliary bag: First the ends 38of the bag are folded over upon the bottom of the bag, then t e sides 49are folded over upon the folded ends and upon themselves, and finallythe entire foldeg unit is folded over upon itself or doubled upontransverse folding line 42 which extends central- Iy of said unit,equidistant from its two ends. The folded auxiliary bag is now smallenough to be inserted into the inner pocket 28 of the main handbag l2;See Fig. 2.

The foregoing is illustrative of a preferred form of this invention andit will be understood that this preferred form may be modified and otherforms may be provided within the broad spirit of the invention and thebroad scope of the claim.

I claim:

In a duplex bag construction, a main unit comprising a complete handbag,fastener elements carried by the sides of the handbag adjacent thebottom thereof; an auxiliary unit formed of flexible and foldablematerial and comprising a bag-like body having a closed bottom, sidesand an open top, the upper edge portion of the hag-like body adapted toenclose the lower edge portion of the complete handbag, complementaryfastener elements carried by the sides of the baglilie body fordetachable engagement with the respective fastener elements on thehandbag of the i sin unit to secure the bag-like body in entlcsingrelation with respect to the complete handbag, and a skirt portiondepending from the lower portion of the handbag beyond the fastenerelements thereof and extending completely around the upper edge portionof the bag-like body of the auxiliary unit when the latter is attachedto the main unit for concealing the fastener elements aswellas the upperedge-of the bag-like body.

ISRAEL MACHINIST.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

